The Draft "Expert" - Wk 3 2027 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings
Hello everybody and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post presented by me, Logan Blackman of the Logan Blackman Show! As you can probably tell by the title, in this one we will be taking a look at my week three top-10 quarterback prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft!
There's really not a lot of things out there better than this, am I right? No I'm not just talking about my weekly blog post finally coming out, I'm talking about college football in general. I don't really know how else to describe it, it's really just the best thing out there, and we know it will only continue to get better as the season goes on.
Obviously my favorite part(s) throughout the season is watching all of the available quarterbacks for the next year's draft, regardless what year it is. Based on what I've seen on social media up to this point in the season, it sounds like people are somewhat disappointed in this year's quarterback selection. To me though, I've actually liked what I've seen from these quarterbacks, as crazy as that may seem to some out there.
In this one we will see a little movement from the previous week, as not only does a new face enter the top five, but a new face also enters the blog post(s) for the first time this season (with another leaving). There's another one who's hanging onto a spot in this list for dear life, but I guess it's your job to figure out who that player is..
With all that being said let's get right into it! I Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert" am proud to present to you my week three quarterback prospect rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
1. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (+1)
Wk 3 - 20/22 324 yds 5 touchdowns 0 interceptions/1 carry -6 yds 0 touchdowns v Murray State (59-0 W)
Season - 75/114 882 yds 8 touchdowns 4 interceptions/12 carries 106 yds 1 touchdown
Following an utterly ridiculous week two victory against the then sixth ranked Oregon Ducks, Drew Mestemaker and co. played host to a Murray State Racers team that has won three games in their past three seasons combined (including this one). I mean prior to beating Indiana State in their final game of last season, the Racers hadn't registered a win in any of their previous 20-games. They are really like the Oklahoma State of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, as remember the Cowboys had lost 21-consecutive games to FBS opponents before beating the Ducks last week, who had not lost a game to any unranked FBS opponent in Dan Lanning's tenure as head coach (were previously 35-0). To be honest I still can't fully get over what I watched last week, as Mestemaker and the Cowboys went from laughing stock following their week one loss to Tulsa to one of the nation's favorite teams in just the span of a week. It's crazy, but that's the beauty of college football. Unlike last week though I don't think anyone out there felt as though Oklahoma State would struggle too much this week, regardless of how emotional and exhausting that win against Oregon was. They absolutely took care of business against a bad Murray State team, coming away with a 59-0 home victory that saw them put up a whopping 662-yards of offense with 33-first downs (as opposed to Murray State's five). Out of those 662-yards, 324 of those came through the air via the arm of Mestemaker, who registered five passing touchdowns while only two of his passes hitting the ground (20/22). Things would start off really good for the Oklahoma State offense as Mestemaker would connect with Justin Bowick across the middle for a 22-yard gain to get them to the Murray State side of the 50.
Really strong throw down the field here by Mestemaker, placing the ball right on his receiver's body as to avoid any possible play by the defender. I love seeing quarterbacks who are not afraid to attack the middle portions of the field, and it's clear as day that Mestemaker is not afraid to do so. That following a couple of big runs would help set up Mestemaker's first passing touchdown of the game, which would come via a pop pass to Miles Coleman from two yards out to give the Cowboys their first lead of the game midway through the first quarter. Mestemaker would come out firing again on Oklahaoma State's next drive, connecting on passes of eight, 28, and 11-yards before hitting Wyatt Young in the end zone on a fantastic throw and catch between quarterback and receiver from 13-yards out to make the score 14-0 with less than three minutes to go in the quarter.
Just a great throw and catch here between Mestemaker and Young, showing off that chemistry they've built up since their time together at North Texas. With Young torching his defender off the line, all Mestemaker needs to do here is not miss his receiver which he didn't, thanks of course to a fantastic one handed catch by his receiver. Everything about this play is beautiful, which again helped the Cowboys double their advantage later on in the first quarter. Mestemaker would let it fly early and often their next time out, going 5/5 on the drive registering completions of 34 and 24-yards, with the later resulting in his second passing touchdown of the game.
Just two nice and easy tosses for Mestemaker that would result in massive gains for the Oklahoma State offense. On the first one Mestemaker would do an excellent job at floating the ball into his speedy receiver, as Coleman had a bunch of space to work with near the sideline, able to pick up a decent amount of yards after making the catch. As for the touchdown pass this is a simple read from Mestemaker. With the linebacker biting on the handoff, that leaves a massive hole in behind for Mestemaker to fit it into Bowick, who would make the catch and make the safety miss before finding his way into the end zone for the score. Again, two really nice tosses from Mestemaker that saw the Cowboys further extend their lead early on in the second quarter. Mestemaker and Bowick would find each other again on the opening play of their next possession, connecting for what would result in a 27-yard gain.
With the nickel defender coming in late on a blitz Mestemaker knows that he will have to get this ball out quicker than probably anticipated due to the protection going to the left. Sure the tight end is there but all he's doing is chipping any oncoming defender and giving Mestemaker an option should he need it. Most quarterbacks would have taken the check down, but Mestemaker isn't like mot other quarterbacks, as he is able to hit an open Bowick for a 27-yard gain despite the defender draped around his midsection. A really good play from Mestemaker, helping the Cowboys get to the Racer side of the 50. Despite the big play on first down the drive would stall out, with the offense ultimately settling with a 23-yard field goal from kicker Sam Keltner to go up 24-0 midway through the second quarter. Would you believe me if I said Mestemaker and Bowick would find each other again a couple more times on Oklahoma State's next drive? Well you better believe it, as the pair would connect for 18-yards on second after three before hooking up for a 36-yard touchdown a few plays later to further extend their advantage in the second quarter.
Excellent job by Mestemaker on the first play at scanning the entire field while remaining in the pocket before firing it to Bowick in a tight window for what would result in a 18-yard gain. There was very little room to work with here for Mestemaker, and yet (with his arm talent) he's able to make it look routine. Also, really nice job by Bowick at giving his quarterback an option to go to down the field, stopping his route and cutting back to the outside rather than go right into the path of Murray State's zone. As for the touchdown, Mestermaker is able to hit Bowick running a deep crosser in behind the zone for what would result in a 36-yard touchdown later on in the second quarter. Really solid throw here from Mestemaker as it resulted in his fourth touchdown of the half while helping Oklahoma State extend their lead to 31. Following a 55-yard punt return by Miles Coleman the Cowboy offense would be set up at the Racer 32-yard line with less than two minutes to go in the half. On the second play of the drive Mestemaker would hit (guess who?) Justin Bowick along the sideline for a 12-yard gain.
Despite an offensive lineman getting driven back into him, Mestemaker is still able to throw a strong pass to the sideline to Bowick, who would make a nice catch to bring it in for a 12-yard gain. This is a lot longer of a throw than I think most people realize and if Mestemaker (or any quarterback) is even a half second off timing wise it can result in an interception heading the other way. This was a really solid throw and catch between quarterback and receiver, just unfortunate that the drive wouldn't last much longer after this as Mestemaker would get stripped in the pocket with a defender falling on the ball with 38-seconds to go until halftime, taking at least three points off the board in the process. Mestemaker would make quick work in making up for the fumble on their opening drive of the second half, connecting on passes of 10 and 17-yards before hitting Terrence Lewis in stride from 31-yards out to give the Cowboys a 38-0 lead leass than two minutes into the third quarter.
Much like I've spoken about before when the linebacker bites and/or hesitates that gives Mestemaker the green light to fire it in behind as he's going to have a big window to work with. With the safety playing overtop though he also knows to place the ball on his receiver's body rather than lead him up the field, allowing Coleman to pick his head up and nearly make a play after the catch. The following play would see Mestemaker register his fifth and final touchdown pass of the game, floating it perfectly to Terrence Lewis from 31-yards out to make the score 38-0 at the start of the of the second half. Lewis absolutely cooked his defender out of the blocks, setting up a nice and easy touchdown for Mestemaker, which would be his final contribution of the game as back-up Broderick Vehrs would come in to help see out a 59-0 home victory. Was there ever any doubt? I mean again, Murray State isn't necessarily the toughest FCS school out there, but you still have to take care of business I guess. Regardless, Mestemaker still put up a very solid performance, registering five touchdowns while again only seeing two of his 22-passes hit the ground. He's such an effortless thrower of the football and so much fun to watch, I'm intrigued to see how him and the rest of the Cowboys do this coming week on the road against West Virginia. With one of the worst pass defenses in the Big 12, I do expect Mestemaker and the passing attack to stay hot this weekend.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - @ West Virginia
2. Arch Manning, Texas (-1)
Wk 3 - 17/33 164 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/9 carries 50 yds 0 touchdowns v UTSA (30-6 W)
Season - 60/97 664 yds 7 touchdowns 2 interceptions/20 carries 80 yds 0 touchdowns
Following an impressive come from behind home victory against the then top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, Arch Manning and the now top ranked Texas Longhorns played host to a UTSA Roadrunners team coming off of their own impressive come from behind victory as they outscored the Texas State Bobcats (who Texas played week one) 24-9 in the second half to take home a 31-26 win. As impressive as their comeback was, I think the more shocking of the two would be Texas' as I think most people out there don't think they have what it takes to actually compete with the other "big boys" in college football. That's not saying they're not a good team or anything, but they have seemed to flatter to deceive in some of those "bigger" games since moving to the SEC from the Big 12. Maybe most people out there still view Manning as the one who stepped into the Horseshoe week one last season, I'm not sure, but the simple fact of the matter is that Manning lead a very impressive win against a very good Ohio State team. Though his stats weren't otherworldly (23/37 195-yards 1 touchdown 1 interception) the way he played at the end of the game was very impressive, and I think should have made more people come onside and view him as someone more than just a last name (regardless of how big that last name may be). This week Manning and the Longhorns came in as a -29.5-point favorite against the aforementioned Roadrunners, coming away with an unimpressive 30-6 victory in the process. I know they dominated in the stat sheet, but they punted the ball away three times and turned it over on downs a further two times, which may not seem like a lot but I personally expected better from Texas. As for Manning statistically he didn't put forth the best showing, going 17/33 for 164-yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, putting up a further 50-yards on the ground on nine carries. Things would start off pretty good for the Longhorns, with the Roadrunners turning the ball over on their opening play of the game (their first of the season) which would help set Manning and co. up at the plus 37-yard line. Four plays later Manning would register his first passing touchdown of the game, connecting with Cam Coleman from 24-yards out to give them a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
Just a nice easy throw here from Manning, firing it to Coleman right on the inside shoulder of the linebacker, getting it out right before the UTSA edge rusher could get to him in the backfield. Clean pocket and an open receiver, what more could you ask for if you're Manning? Again giving Texas their first lead of the game early on in the first quarter. Manning and Coleman would hook up again on Texas' next drive, going for 13-yards while picking up a much needed first down on third and five. Manning would help them convert on another third down a few plays later, this time hitting Emmett Mosley V for a 12-yard gain, helping them not only pick up the first down on third and six but would also get them to the 50-yard line. A couple plays later Manning would be stripped of the football in the pocket, but would be able to corral it before dumping it off to Hollywood Smoothers for what would result in an 11-yard gain on second and seven.
Obviously this wasn't some tight window throw or anything, but it does show Manning's ability to make something out of nothing, as he turns a potential turnover in the pocket into an 11-yard gain. Luckily for him the ball bounced right back up to him which allowed for the play to happen, but like I always say sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Really good wherewithal from Manning to not only coral the ball but to remain calm and dump it off to his running back to help get them deeper into UTSA territory. Unfortunately for Texas their drive wouldn't last too much longer, and they would be forced to settle for a 52-yard field goal from kicker Gianni Spetic to make the score 10-3 with less than two minutes to go in the first quarter. Manning would hit on three bubble screens on their next drive for gains of 15, eight, and eight (again) yards before tossing one up to Cam Coleman in the corner of the end zone from three yards out to extend Texas' lead with 11:26 to go in the second quarter.
Sure it may have only been from three yards out, but this was still a perfect throw and catch from Manning and Coleman on this play. Putting Coleman on an island this close to the end zone is certainly a choice, and Manning takes full advantage of it by putting the ball in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on it. One of the biggest catch radiuses in all of college football, you essentially have to just put the ball in Coleman's area code and he'll come down with it (barring last week) and that's exactly what happened here. Now I don't want to discredit Manning's accuracy on this throw at all, it was an inch perfect throw, again helping Texas grow their lead to 17-3 less than four minutes into the second quarter. Manning would struggle connecting with his receivers on Texas' next drive, going 1/5 on the drive with one of those incompletions coming on a fourth and six attempt, turning the ball over on downs. Things wouldn't get much better on their next possession, as they'd be forced to punt the ball away after eight plays, with none of those plays resulting in a 10+ yard gain. Manning would use his legs to great effect on their final drive of the first half, registering gains of 12, nine, and nine (yes, again) to help set up a 34-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic to go up 20-3 with 10-seconds left in the half. Texas would be forced to punt the ball away on each of their first two drives of the third quarter, though on their second drive Manning would connect with Cam Coleman for a 19-yard gain to help get them out of the shadow of their own end zone.
As I (and many others) have stated before you want your quarterback to not be afraid throwing the ball down the middle of the field. Caked in the shadow of their own end zone, Manning remains tall and calm in the pocket and fires it into Coleman right off of the inside shoulder of the UTSA linebacker. Just a really solid throw here from Manning, just a shame it wouldn't lead to much more as Texas would again be forced to punt the ball away a few plays later. Manning would come out firing on their next drive, hitting Ryan Wingo across the middle for a 17-yard gain, taking them to the Roadrunner 24-yard line (the throw was behind, great catch by Wingo). The Longhorns would ultimately get the ball down to the five yard line, where they'd have to settle for another Spetic field goal to give them a 23-6 lead midway through the third quarter. Manning would flash the athleticism on their next possession, given a bunch of space to work with to the left and picking up 20-yards with his legs to get them down to the UTSA 19-yard line. Despite the positive field position the Longhorns would once again fail to punch it across the goal line, only this time they'd fail to convert on fourth down with Manning's pass on fourth and four falling incomplete. Manning would hand the ball off every play (minus one but it was incomplete) on their next possession, traveling 66-yards in eight plays with Derrek Cooper taking it in from a yard out to give them a 30-6 lead midway through the fourth. That score would ultimately mark the end of the game, with the top ranked Longhorns taking down their second in-state opponent of the season. Like I said before though it was anything but pretty, and Manning has definitely had better outings than the one he had on Saturday. All that matters though is that they got the win, testing their undefeated record against the 14th ranked Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville this coming weekend. Though I think Texas will come out on top, this game should be anything but easy. For their sake let's hope Manning and the offense are more up to it this week.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - @ no.14 Tennessee
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
Wk 3 - 19/23 280 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/1 carry -3 yds 0 touchdowns v Portland State (84-0 W)
Season - 61/89 849 yds 9 touchdowns 0 interceptions/9 carries -17 yds 0 touchdowns
I don't know about you, but I don't really think I'm fully recovered from Oregon's week two loss on the road against Oklahoma State. Like, Oregon boasted an insanely impressive 35-0 record against unranked FBS opponents whereas Oklahoma State had lost 21-consecutive games to FBS opponents of any kind, ranked or unranked. What makes even that much more crazy is that we saw those two teams play each other last season, a game that saw the Ducks come away with a rather insane 69-3 victory, a game that saw then head coach Mike Gundy plastered on the Autzen Stadium video board. I know it's a completely new look Cowboy team from a season ago, but hell they lost to a Tulsa Golden Hurricanes team week one that won for games last year, one of course coming against Oklahoma State. I don't think a soul out there was expecting Oregon to fall last weekend, as many out there considered them to be one of the favorites to claim their first ever national championship. With Dante Moore back at quarterback mixed with a wealth of talent on defense, it was pretty easy to understand why so many people out there felt that way, which makes the loss to Oklahoma State that much more insane. With that everyone and their mom knew that the Ducks would take out all of their pent up aggression on whichever poor soul they faced next, which just so happened to be the in-state Portland State Vikings who came into this game with an 0-3 record. Despite their record the Vikings can score the football, registering over 20-points in each of their first three games. The only problem with that is that Oregon was never going to let them sniff the end zone, as the Ducks waddled their way to a laughable 84-0 home victory. Was it necessary to embarrass Portland State like this? Like did they really need to punch the ball into the end zone from two yards out with less than 30-seconds to go in the game? No of course not, but were any of us surprised? Again, of course not. In the win Oregon quarterback Dante Moore put up some solid numbers, going 19/23 for 280-yards with a season high four touchdowns and no interceptions. Things would unsurprisingly start out swimmingly for the Ducks, with Moore and Dierre Hill Jr. connecting on a little pop pass for a 29-yard gain that would ultimately help set up a three yard touchdown run by Jordon Davison to put Oregon up 7-0 just over three minutes into the game. Moore would nearly hit Andrew Olesh for what would have been a big time gain earlier in the drive, unfortunately his tight end would be unable to corral it through the contact. Oregon's next touchdown would come via the arm of Moore, as they would only need two passes to travel 67-yards for the score as he would connect with Evan Stewart right around the line of scrimmage for 22-yards before hitting Dakorien Moore on a beautifully thrown deep ball from 45-yards out for the score.
Not a whole lot to see here in regards to a film aspect, just a perfectly thrown deep ball by Moore for Oregon's second score of the game. After doing a little half roll to the left, Moore is able to hit the other Moore right in the bread basket for the easy walk in touchdown. Despite not having the greatest start to the season, I still believe that Moore throws one of the best deep balls in all of college football, as seen right here. It wouldn't wouldn't take long for the Ducks to find the end zone again on their next drive as a Viking fumble on the ensuing kick return would set them up at the plus 19-yard line. Four plays later Jordon Davison would take it in from five yards out to make the score 21-0 midway through the first quarter. Much like their second drive of the game it would only take two plays for them to find the end zone again, with Moore connecting with Dierre Hill Jr. on a pop pass that would go for 18-yards before tossing up another perfect deep ball to Evan Stewart for a 39-yard touchdown.
Despite Portland State playing their defensive backs deeper to avoid getting beat overtop, Stewart would still cook his nearest defender providing a wide ass open target for Moore to hit down the field, which of course he did. One again just a perfectly thrown deep ball here by Moore to help the Ducks extend their lead to 28 with five minutes to go in the opening quarter. Oregon's next drive would be their longest of the game up until that point, though they would still find the end zone after traveling 83-yards in nine plays. Moore would hit on a few 10+ yard passes throughout the drive, with the biggest gain going for 26 on the very final play of the first quarter.
Another fairly easy throw here for Moore, as Harrison was behind the defense before they even really had time to react. I mean you can see two Portland State defenders look back in shock as Harrison runs in behind, with Moore throwing a nice back shoulder-ish ball with a defender coming around the edge for what would result in a 26-yard gain. A few plays later Moore would register his third passing touchdown of the game, connecting with Harrison while rolling to his right a few yards past the line of scrimmage who would take it into the end zone for the 10-yard score. This coming after Oregon tried and failed to convert on fourth and 15, but got bailed out by a defensive pass interference penalty. All in all another touchdown for Moore means the Ducks further extend their lead to 35 less than two minutes into the second quarter. You remember when I said Oregon's longest drive of the game was nine plays? Well they topped that on their very next possession by traveling 80-yards in 12-plays with the run game capping it off as Dierre Hill Jr. would take it in from seven yards out to make it a 42-0 game with 5:23 to go in the first half. The Ducks' offense would be set up with excellent field position on their next drive following a nine yard punt, needing six plays before Moore would hit Messiah Hampton in the corner of the end zone from seven yards out to give them a 49-0 lead with less than two minutes to go in the quarter.
Just a really nice throw to the corner of the end zone here by Moore. Though it only registers as a seven yard touchdown pass, this is a lot longer of a throw than you would initially think. To place it in the basket from that distance is pretty impressive despite it technically only being a seven yard pass. That touchdown would give Moore his fourth and final of the game as he wouldn't see any action in the second half, with the Ducks nearly equaling their first half points total by taking home a 84-0 victory. Like I said before, was there any real reason necessary for Oregon to do this to little old Portland State? No, but I guess they had to exercise some demons after their aforementioned loss to Oklahoma State. As for Moore he did his thing, taking what the defense gave him while registering a season high four touchdowns in the process. This week should prove to be a much tougher test for him and the Ducks as they travel down south to take on the 12th ranked Trojans of USC. Moore put up some good numbers in their match-up last season, let's hope we see that version of him rather than the one we saw last week.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - @ no.12 USC
4. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (+2)
Wk 3 - 33/48 363 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries 2 yds 1 touchdown v no.7 LSU (32-24 W)
Season - 77/110 924 yds 7 touchdowns 2 interceptions/21 carries 64 yds 2 touchdowns
As I said in last week's blog post, despite it being so early in the season Ole Miss' recent home match-up against LSU promised to be one of the best games of the season. I don't really give two shits that we're only three weeks into the season, Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford was bound to be met with fireworks, with most of them being aimed at the LSU sideline. It's no secret that Kiffin is one of the greatest head coaches in Ole Miss history (at least in recent history) which is what made his departure last season sting that much more. It's not like Ole Miss fans didn't know that wouldn't happen eventually, like do you know how many other teams thought they could "change him?" Believe me you're not the first, and I'm willing to bet you won't be the last. But even for Kiffin, leaving right before the start of the school's first ever College Football Playoff appearence was low, and to have the audacity to ask to still coach the team after the fact to try and "save face" or something was almost more insulting. Despite that all happening, then interem head coach Pete Golding did an excellent job at rallying the troops, guiding them all the way to the semifinals before falling 31-27 to the Miami (FL) Hurricanes. Along that run quarterback Trinidad Chambliss put forth some fantastic efforts, making play after play as the Rebels upset SEC rivals Georgia in the quarterfinals before registering what could have been a game winning touchdown with less than four minutes to go in the game in their aforementioned loss to Miami (FL). There's no secret Chambliss, Golding, and co. had this game circled on their calendars, coming away with a 32-24 victory despite being three point home underdogs. In the win Chambliss made sure he made his mark, going 33/48 for 363-yards with two touchdowns and one interception, setting new FBS career highs in completions, attempts, and yards (he would also pick up another touchdown on the ground). Though he would have a fantastic game overall, things wouldn't start off insanely smooth for the Rebel offense as they would go three and out on their opening drive. Chambliss would make sure their drive would go longer than three plays their next time out, hittting Traylon Ray along the far sideline for a 13-yard gain on third and nine.
This is just an inch perfect throw here by Chambliss. With two defenders in his face, he is able to rip a strong and insanely accurate ball over to Ray for the much needed first down. There's is such little room to work with and even less room for error, and yet Chambliss makes it look so effortless. He's got such an explosive arm and it was really on display on this throw, again help the Rebel offense pick up a first down on third and nine. Chambliss would help the offense pick up another first on third down a few plays later, connecting with Horatio Fields for a seven yard gain on third and seven to get them to the LSU side of the 50. He would then pick up a further 15-yards with his legs to get them down to the Tiger 26-yard line, but the drive would ultimately stall out and they would have to settle for a 37-yard field goal from Lucas Carneiro to give them a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Chambliss would come out firing on Ole Miss' next drive, connecting with Ray along the near sideline on a perfectly thrown ball (mixed with a fantastic catch) for a 36-yard gain.
Rolling to his right Chambliss rips an inch perfect ball to Ray who goes up and makes a fantastic catch along the sideline for the aforementioned 36-yard gain. Like I said a little bit ago with two defenders in coverage there is very little room for error, and yet Chambliss is still able to throw an insanely accurate ball (on the run no less) in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball. A few plays later Chambliss would hit an open Caleb Odom a yard or two past the first down marker on third and six who would turn up field and pick up a whopping 30-yards to help get the offense down to the LSU five yard line, setting up a Kewan Lacy touchdown run a play later to make the score 10-0 with two minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Chambliss and Odom would connect again early on their next drive following a 22-yard run by Lacy on their opening play of the drive, this time going for 23-yards to get them to the Tiger side of the 50 (shallow crossing route). Chambliss would continue to make plays as the drive went along, buying time in the backfield before hitting Michael Smith for a six yard gain on third and six before firing one into Ray for what would result in a 21-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
I know technically the first one will only count as a six yard pass, as that was the distance between the original line of scrimmage and the first down marker. The thing is though with Chambliss dropping all the way back to the 43-yard line, this is really a 24-yard throw to help extend the drive on third down. Now with that being said, you don't always love seeing your quarterback back-up 18-yards behind the line of scrimmage as a sack would push them completely out of field goal range. That is, unless you have Chambliss lining up for you at quarterback. The ultimate playmaker and competitor, Chambliss is able to keep this play alive by evading defenders and finding the open Smith for the six yard gain. The touchdown throw is just another example of Chambliss' arm talent, as he absolutely rips this ball into Ray right on his body in between two LSU defenders for the eventual score. Like I've said a few times before, a lot of these throws have very little margin for error, and yet Chambliss makes it look routine as the Rebels extend their lead to 17 midway through the second quarter. Chambliss would let it fly on Ole Miss' next possession, connecting on passes of 12, 14, and 17 before hitting Deuce Alexander in the end zone from 20-yards out to make the score 24-7 with only five seconds to go in the first half.
What a play here from Chambliss to end the half on an insanely high note for the Rebels. With LSU lining up three safeties along the goal line, their main goal is to make sure nothing gets passed them. Unfortunately for them the threat of Chambliss running was just too great, freezing the middle safety just long enough to give Chambliss a solid enough window to hit Alexander in the end zone for the score. Just a fantastic play and fantastic throw here from Chambliss, again helping Ole Miss further extend their leading going into the locker room. As good as the first half went, the second half started out a whole lot slower as Chambliss would register his first (and only) interception of the game, just three plays into their opening drive.
First time LSU actually got to Chambliss and boy did they capitalize. Sending pressure late, no one was able to account for Ty Benefield who just had a free shot at Chambliss. The ensuing hit would cause the ball to sail on Chambliss, resulting in his first interception of the game. As they said on the broadcast the window wasn't big to begin with, but as Chambliss has proven throughout the course of the game when he has a clean pocket (or even when he doesn't) he is able to fit the ball through any window. Just an unfortunate interception thrown here by Chambliss, setting LSU up at the Ole Miss 33-yard line, thus setting up their second touchdown of the game which would come just six plays later. Chambliss would resume his playmaking prowess on Ole Miss' next drive, escaping pressure to the left before flipping it down the field to an open Traylon Ray for a 19-yard gain.
This is the kind of playmaking that you just can't teach, as Chambliss turns what should have been a sack into a 19-yard gain for the offense. Rolling to his left with defenders all around him, how many other quarterbacks out there (at the colligate level) are able to pull this kind of play off? If there are any they are few and far between as again, this is such an amazing play by Chambliss, hitting the open Ray with a little flick of the wrist for (again) a 19-yard gain. The Rebels would ultimately get the ball all the way down to the Tiger 36-yard line where kicker Lucas Carneiro would fail to convert from 53-yards out (never close), keeping the score at 24-14 with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter. Ole Miss would be forced to punt the ball away their next time out, with Chambliss taking a whopping 20-yard sack in the process (go back to what I said earlier). LSU would come away with a field goal on the following drive, tying the game up at 24 less than four minutes into the fourth quarter. Chambliss and Horatio Fields for a 22-yard gain early on Ole Miss' next possession, that coming before JT Lindsey would take a direct snap up the middle for a two yard gain to convert on fourth and one from the LSU 40-yard line. Chambliss would come up massive for the Rebel offense as the drive went along, connecting with Deuce Alexander for a 14-yard gain before taking it into the end zone himself from 14-yards out to give them a 32-24 lead (following a successful two point conversion) with with about six minutes to go in the quarter.
On the first play Chambliss does an excellent job at scanning the field right to left (middle) before firing it into Alexander for the 14-yard gain. Because he flashed his eyes to the right first, that held the defender off just enough to give him more room to work it back to his receiver, getting the ball to him in the middle of the field before the linebacker could make a play on the ball. Nice job as well at putting the ball right on Alexander's body, can't afford to lead him as anything too far in front may have resulted in a pass breakup or an interception. As for the touchdown it just had to be Chambliss, didn't it? Pulling it from his back and hitting the corner before beating the defender to the end zone for the score. That touchdown (mixed with the two point conversion) would be the offense's final contribution to the game, as the Ole Miss defense would come up with a massive interception of Sam Leavitt at the six yard line to put the game on ice with less than a minute to go in the game, giving the Rebels an impressive 32-24 home victory. For the Ole Miss fans out there, I'm sure there's no other victory that was as sweet as this one, espcially with how they won it. As for Chambliss he was just fantastic, cementing himself as the early season Heisman Trophy favorite (at least for me). He may not have the size most teams in the NFL are looking for in a quarterback prospect (not to mention he's three months older than Drake Maye), but the dude just makes plays, and that's something you cannot teach. I know Miami's Darian Mensah has the better raw numbers right now, but Chambliss to me is the best player in college football as things stand right now. This week Chambliss and co. will be on the road to Gainsville to take on the now 21st ranked Florida Gators, who are actually opening as three point favorites. Let's see if Chambliss and the rest of the Rebels are up to the task of being road underdogs.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - @ no.21 Florida
5. CJ Carr, Notre Dame (-1)
Wk 3 - 18/24 234 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 9 yds 1 touchdown v Michigan State (27-10 W)
Season - 53/73 726 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 3 yds 1 touchdown
Another week, another solid performance from quarterback CJ Carr and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, taking down the Michigan State Spartans by the score 27-10. Though they came into the game as whopping -28.5-point favorites, the Irish were held somewhat in check despite dominating the Spartans in damn near every statistical category. I mean they had more first downs, yards, time of possession, and finished the game with zero turnovers as opposed to Michigan State's two (two interceptions by Alessio Milivojevic). It's safe to say Michigan State was never truly in the game, but at the same time Notre Dame never really pulled away like many out there thought they would. As I alluded to before this was another solid display from Carr, who would go 18/24 for 234-yards with one rushing touchdown in the win. So far this season that's been Carr's game, playing smart and efficient football while not putting up the most jaw dropping numbers. If Carr keeps playing like this there's no reason why Notre Dame's season couldn't realistically end with them in the National Championship. Carr is quietly having a very solid season, not being afraid to push the ball down the field as one of the best deep ball throwers in the country, going 15/22 while averaging 19.3-yards per average when throwing 10-or more yards down the field with three touchdowns and no interceptions. That skill and willingness to push the ball down the field was on display right from the jump, as he would hit Micah Gilbert down the hash on a perfectly thrown ball for a 61-yard gain, taking them from their own 25 to the Spartan 14-yard line.
As I showed with the stats above, Carr is really one of the best deep ball throwers in all of college football, as was shown on that 61-yard pass to Gilbert on the opening play of the game. Now I wouldn't go out there and say he's got a hose for an arm or anything, but the dude's mechanics and timing are top notch, you can clearly tell he's a coaches kid. You really can't throw a ball much better here if you're Carr, and if it weren't for a shoe string tackle Gilbert would have for sure found his way into the end zone for the score. Unfortunately punching it across the goal line on this drive would not happen, as they would ultimately have to settle for a 25-yard field goal from Specner Porath to give them a 3-0 lead about three minutes into the game. Notre Dame would be faced with another fourth down situation in Michigan State territory on their next possession, only this time they would go for it as Carr would hit Gilbert (again) along the sideline for a eight yard gain on fourth and three.
Sure it may not have flown through the air for a 61-yard gain, but this is still a really solid throw here from Carr to help extend Notre Dame's drive on fourth and three. With the edge defender dropping back into coverage after showing blitz, Carr knows he's going to have to get this ball out quick and to the sideline in order to beat the said defender. Carr starts to let this ball go before the defender has his head turned, getting it on Gilbert in a hurry to again help pick up a much needed first down. A few plays later Nolan James Jr. would take it into the end zone from two yards out, giving the Irish a 10-0 lead with 4:31 to go in the first quarter. The Irish would attempt to go for it on fourth down on their next drive, only this time they'd fail to convert, turning the ball over on downs at their own 39-yard line. The thing is the drive could have been over a whole lot sooner, as Carr would try to hit Jordan Faison but would be intercepted in the process. Thankfully for him Faison was held while the ball was in the air, result in a defensive pass interference penalty that would really only bail them out for a few plays before again turning it over on downs. Michigan State would come away with a field goal on their following drive to make it a 10-3 game midway through the second quarter. Carr would come out firing early on Notre Dame's next possession, connecting with Faison for a 21-yard gain to get them closer to midfield.
This play/throw shows off Carr's processing and overall decision making. Despite his eyes going to his running back in the flat first, Carr is able to double pump and flip back to this inside to Faison, fitting it into his receiver before the defender in coverage can make a play. Overall this is just really good quarterbacking shown here by Carr, as you don't really see a ton of college quarterbacks out there with the same processing skills he does. Carr would complete two more passes the rest of the drive for gains of eight and four yards, with the run game really leading them the rest of the way with Aneyas Williams eventually taking it in from a yard out to make the score 17-3 with less than five minutes to go in the first half. That being said that eight yard pass from Carr was actually really impressive, as a "dead to rights" Carr was able to escape a would be sack before rolling out to his left and finding Mylan Graham for a first down on second and three.
As I said above, Carr was absolutely dead to rights in the backfield, so how the hell was he able to escape the pocket and get this ball out to Graham for an eight yard gain and a first down? I have absolutely no idea, I don't even know how he was able to hang onto the ball as that really should have ended in a sack fumble for the Michigan State defense. Regardless of how it happened it was insanely impressive, helping extend the drive further to lead to their second touchdown of the half. With that the Irish wouldn't really accomplish much of anything offensively the rest of he half, going three and out on their next possession before kneeling it out and taking a 17-10 lead into the locker room. The inverse would happen on their opening drive of the second half, putting together a whopping 17-play 77-yard drive that would end with a field goal with a minute to go in the third. Throguhout the drive Carr would hit on a few short to interemediate passes, helping (along with the running game) the Irish get from their own six to the Spartan 17, which is where kicker Spencer Porath would convert to make the score 20-10 late in the qusrter. The next drive would be all Carr, as he would connect with Micah Gilbert for gains of 28 and 39-yards before punching it into the end zone himself from three yards out to give them a 27-10 lead just over four minutes into the fourth quarter.
Just two fantastic throws here from Carr, helping set up his first rushing touchdown of the season. The first throw Carr shows off that aforementioned anticipation I've spoken about many times before, firing it into Gilbert right off the inside shoulder of the linebacker in coverage. The deep ball is just an inch perfect throw, placing it on Gilbert's outside shoulder and away from both Spartan defenders in coverage, dropping it right in the bucket for a nice 39-yard gain. These two throws are as perfect as you could ask for, again helping set up another Irish touchdown to make the score 27-10 with 10:55 to go in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame would have another opportunity for points on their next drive following another Alessio Milivojevic interception, but unfortunately kicker Spencer Porath would fail to convert from 39-yards out, keeping the score at 27-10 midway through the quarter. After that things would settle down, as the Irish would hold onto that lead and take a 27-10 home victory against Michigan State. Again, maybe not the most dominant performance from the Irish score wise, but truth is the Spartans were never really in this game. As for Carr he again may not have put up monster numbers but the dude is playing smart and efficient football while not being afraid to push the ball down the field. He's having a really nice season so far and I would expect that to continue this coming week on the road against Purdue.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - @ Purdue
6. Darian Mensah, Miami (FL) (-1)
Wk 3 - 30/34 220 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 5 yds 0 touchdowns @ Wake Forest (33-20 W)
Season - 71/79 873 yds 11 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 31 yds 0 touchdowns
The more the season continues to saunter on, the more I continue to ask myself if Miami quarterback Darian Mensah will register more than five incompletions in a single game. As I said last week I am well aware that Miami hasn't necessarily played a murderers row schedule or anything up to this point, but to look at Mensah's stats and see that he's only seen eight of his passes hit the ground is pretty damn remarkable. Now there are a bunch of different factors that go into a pass getting completed or not, and I'm not a person who takes a whole lot of value in looking at someone's completion percentage, but it is still very impressive. I mean hell, this past week against Wake Forest saw Mensah register his highest incompletion total of the season, a whopping four. Like are you kidding me? As things stand right now you'd have to say Mensah is one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy (shocking statement, I know) especially if Miami keeps dominating in the way they have been. Despite the season being so young, the Hurricanes have no registered two wins against ACC opponents, beating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons last Friday night by the score 33-20, their closest game by a long shot. Though this wound up resulting in another double digit with for Miami, Wake Forest definitely made things difficult for them, even outscoring their high potent offense 13-9 in the second half while only registering three less first downs and 44-yards less yards of total offense. As for Mensah he would go 30/34 for 220-yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, with those 220-yards through the air marking his lowest total of the season. Things would start off really well for Mensah and the Miami offense despite starting their opening drive from their own eight yard line, with Mensah connecting on a few quick passes that would result in decent gains for the offense before hitting Joshua Moore in the end zone from nine yards out to give them their first lead of the game, capping of a 14-play 92-yard drive.
This is just a nice and easy throw here for Mensah to make. With his eyes initially going to Malachi Toney who's coming across the middle, that froze the middle safety long enough for him to hit an open Moore in the end zone for the score. With the corner attempting to take away anything to the outside, and the high safety attempting to take away anything in the middle, Mensah and Moore find the window in the zone for the score, giving Miami a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter. Mensah would come out firing early on their next drive, connecting with Malachi Toney across the middle of the field for a 28-yard gain on the final play of the quarter.
I've said this a thousand times before but I always love seeing quarterbacks who aren't afraid to push the ball down the middle of the field. With Wake Forest in a zone there was going to be very little room for Mensah to fit this ball into Toney as his route was carrying him right into the path of it. Despite two linebackers in the area Mensah was able to rip it right between them with great anticipation into Toney for the aforementioned 28-yard gain on the very final play of the first quarter. A few plays later Mensah would register his second passing touchdown of the game, connecting with a wide ass open Elija Lofton from 21-yards out to give the Hurricanes a 14-7 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter.
Just a complete bust in coverage here from Wake Forest, as Lofton is able to sneak away from the line of scrimmage before finding himself in acres of space for Mensah to hit for the easy touchdown. Also nice job by Mensah at using his eyes to keep the defense to the right side of the field before flipping back to the left and hitting Lofton for the eventual score. You couldn't have really asked for a better look if you're Miami, as this play again helped them re-take the lead early on in the second quarter. The run game would really carry Miami throughout their next possession, with Cha'Mar Brown registering a 32-yard rush to help set up a one yard touchdown run by Mark Fletcher to give them a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Miami's offense would go three and out on their next possession but would still be able to register some points before the half with kicker Jake Weinberg converting from 28-yards out to make the score 24-7 going into the locker room. Prior to the field goal attempt though Mensah and Toney would hook up for a 27-yard gain, helping extend the drive on third and four from their own 41-yard line.
Very similar route to the one ran by Elija Lofton on Mensah's second passing touchdown of the game, Toney is able to sneak through the Wake Forest defense with Mensah making an insane nice throw despite pressure being right in his face (off his back foot no less). Very nice throw under duress here from Mensah, picking up 27-yards in the process and helping Miami get down to the Wake Forest 32-yard line. Mensah would complete one more pass for six yards on this drive (making him 20/20 for the half) but ultimately the Hurricanes would have to settle for a field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 24-7 lead into the locker room. Miami would start their first drive of the second half off with excellent field position, with Mensah eventually capping of an eight play 56-yard drive with a two yard "jump" pass to Toney in the end zone to make the score 31-7 midway through the quarter. The Hurricanes would really struggle to move the ball the rest of the way, going three and out on each of their next four drives before having a field goal blocked with about four minutes to go in the game. The defense would eventually come up big for Miami on Wake Forest's next (and final) possession, intercepting quarterback Gio Lopez's pass with 2:30 left to cap off a 33-20 Friday night road victory. Like I said before, the Hurricanes may have won this game by double digits but the Demon Deacons definitely made things hard for them in the second half, as Miami's offense tallied up a grand total of 26-yards following their opening drive touchdown. Not the most ideal but hey, you live and you learn, right? Well as for Mensah he continues to prove why he's considered by most to be the most accurate quarterback in all of college football. He may not have a hose attached to his arm but the dude's timing, touch, and placement are second to damn near everyone. I would his numbers to continue to look astronomical this coming week as they play host to the 2-1 Central Michigan Chippewas. Should be a rather easy game (hopefully) for the sixth ranked Hurricanes.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - v Central Michigan
7. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota (+1)
Wk 3 - 17/31 204 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/3 carries -8 yds 0 touchdowns v Akron (41-7 W)
Season - 67/103 747 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries -14 yds 0 touchdowns
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I absolutely hate that Minnesota has themselves a quarterback, Throughout my life the Golden Gophers have had some pretty mediocre signal callers. Not many were particularly bad, but none of them were considered to be a potential first round NFL draft pick. Now that could mean this year or even next year, but the simple fact of the matter is that Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey is one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch, and I cannot stand it. Look, as hard as it may be for me to admit this as a rival fan, the Gophers really do have one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Possessing fantastic size and a rocket arm, Lindsey has all the physical tools (minus elite athleticism) that teams are definitely looking for at the next level, as some of the throws he makes are truly special. Even last week when Minnesota was getting blasted at home by Mississippi State, Lindsey was still able to make accurate passes down the field in some tight windows as the Bulldogs were constantly pressing the Gopher receivers up against the sideline. Registering a career high 48-pass attempts, Lindsey was still able to complete a high percentage of them, the same may not be able to be said for this past week. Now if you've read enough of my blog posts you know I'm not a big fan of determining accuracy by looking solely at completion percentage, but I would still like to see Lindsey complete more than 54% of his passes against a now 1-2 Akron team. With that Lindsey did also register 204-yards and three passing touchdowns (and one interception) in a 41-7 home victory to get them back to winning ways. Lindsey would come out the gates firing on their opening drive, connecting with Noah Jennings along the sideline for a 30-yard gain before firing it into Roman Voss from 16-yards out to give them their first lead of the game less than three minutes into the first quarter.
On the first throw, with the read key selling out to the run Lindsey knows to pull the ball and get it out quick to Jennings along the near sideline. As I've said a few times before this is a lot longer of a throw than some out there probably think, and if it's a second or two late it could wind up going the other way for six, regardless of how open the receiver initially is. Everything is timed up nicely by Lindsey, making a strong throw to Jennings who is able to make the initial defender miss before picking up a nice 32-yard gain. As for the score Lindsey does a nice job standing tall in a crowded pocket before hitting Voss on a well placed back shoulder ball for the 16-yard score. Another RPO style play, the linebacker selling out to the run opens up a nice window in behind for Lindsey to hit his open tight end, giving them their first lead of the game with 12:14 to go in the opening quarter. Things wouldn't go as smoothly for the Gopher offense on their next couple drives as they would go three and out before Lindsey would register his first (and only) interception of the game, coming right after a very nice pass from him to Noah Jennings for a 16-yard gain.
The first throw here is another solid RPO throw from Lindsey. With the linebacker drifting towards the line of scrimmage, Lindsey knows he'll be able to hit Jennings in the hole in the middle of the defense for a 16-yard gain. This is really good anticipation from Lindsey, throwing this ball off the inside shoulder of the linebacker, hitting Jennings right on his body for the aforementioned nice gain. The interception is a different story. With seemingly nothing open down the field, Lindsey tries to fit this ball through a window that just isn't there. Quarterbacks with big or bigger arms think they can make every throw on the football field, unfortunately for Lindsey in this case it wasn't meant to be, as it was deflected into the air before landing in the waiting arms of the Akron defender. As rough as the interception was Lindsey would make up for it early on Minnesota's next drive, connecting on passes of 44 and 20-yards to help get them down to the Akron 11-yard line.
Two plays, two passes to Javon Tracy to help get the Gopher offense down the field in a hurry. The first one (before it gets blurry for some reason) shows the defender delaying his run towards the back, making Lindsey ride the read a little bit longer. Once he pulls it the ball gets out in a hurry, putting the ball right Tracy who is able to turn his defender and pick up 44-yards in the process. The second one (another RPO) shows Lindsey waiting for Tracy to exit his break before letting the ball fly. With a defender right in his face, Lindsey throws a really accurate and timely ball (given the situation) towards the sideline to his receiver who would shed the defender's would be tackle before picking up 20-yards and getting them down to the plus 11-yard line. Unfortunately for Minnesota they would be unable to punch it across the goal line, ultimately settling for a 24-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game with 1:34 remaining in the first quarter. The Gophers would go three and out on their next possession but would find the end zone quickly on their following drive, needing only three plays before Lindsey would hit Noah Jennings in the end zone from six yards out to make the score 17-0 a little over four minutes into the second quarter.
To the surprise of no one Lindsey and Jennings would find each other once again, only this time they'd hook up for Lindsey's second touchdown of the first half. This is pure arm arogance from Lindsey, as he absolutely rips it through an insanely tight window into Jennings who is being blanketed by the Akron defender in coverage. He just rips this ball in a spot where only his receiver can come down with it, with Jennings making a very nice hands catch in the end zone through contact for the score, again making the score 17-0 early on in the second quarter. Lindsey would continue to flash the arm talent on Minnesota's next drive, connecting with Javon Tracy towards the near sideline for a 21-yard gain.
Just an excellent layered throw here from Lindsey, getting it over the initial defender and into the waiting arms of Tracy along the sideline for a 21-yard gain. You really can't ask for a much better throw here, and it would lead to a field goal for the Gophers with just two seconds remaining in the second quarter to give them a 20-0 lead going into the locker room. Minnesota would struggle to move the ball early on in the second half, as they would go three and out on their opening possession before having to punt the ball away after four plays on their following drive. On the positive side of things Akron would fumble the ensuing punt return, gifting Minnesota the ball at the plus 13-yard line. On third and 15 from the 18, Lindsey would hit Jalen Smith in the end zone on a perfectly thrown ball to extend their lead to 27 midway through the third quarter.
I know I've said this a few times already, but you really can't throw a ball any better here if you're Lindsey. I mean, the dude launched this ball from the near hast at the 18-yard line to the opposite back pylon in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball. It's like he just handed the ball to Smith in the end zone, who made a fantastic catch through contact to bring it in for the score. Just a great play all around, which would pretty much be Lindey's final contribution to the game as the Gophers would see out a 41-7 home victory. An easy game overall for Minnesota, and as for Lindsey there are just some throws out there he can make that no one else in the country can. Sure the interception wasn't great but man when he's in rhythm there's not a lot of quarterbacks better. This week will be more of a test for Lindsey and co. as they make their first road trip of the season, heading to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies. It will be tough one, but it'll be a good test for Lindsey.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 -
Wk 4 - @ Washington
8. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (NEW)
Wk 3 - 19/31 276 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/7 carries 55 yds 0 touchdowns v Purdue (52-38 W)
Season - 47/75 611 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/29 carries 141 yds 1 touchdown
As I've said a few times before with some of these other quarterbacks, UCLA's Nico Iamaleava is truly one of the most polarizing prospects in this year's draft. I know I've said that same phrase a good amount of times throughout this short season, but you could really make a case that Iamaleava is the most polarizing quarterback prospect behind maybe only Texas' Arch Manning. That being said unlike Manning, all the polarization surrounding Iamaleava's name comes after things he's actually done himself. If you were paying attention to things going on in the college football world a few offseason's ago, there's no doubt that you stumbled upon Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee. After putting up pretty unspectacular numbers during his first season as the starter, Iamaleava and his camp decided to negotiate a bigger NIL package prior to next season starting. For a dude that was already making a healthy chunk of cash, to have the audacity to ask for even more following a season that saw you register 2,600+ yards through the air with 19-touchdowns and five interceptions is crazy, especially when you consider the fact that 11 of those aforementioned 19-touchdowns came against the likes of Chattanooga, UTEP, and Vanderbilt. With Tennessee unsurprisingly scoffing at the request, Iamaleava entered the transfer portal, unceremoniously landing in Los Angeles to play for the much maligned UCLA Bruins who finished 5-7 the previous season. Despite having little to no team expectations, the Bruins still finished with a disappointing 3-9 record. That being said they did pick up a seemingly improbable win against Penn State, which was pretty cool to witness. With that not a lot of people felt sympathy for Iamaleava, as many felt this was karma for how he left Tennessee. Regardless of what you may feel about how he left, there is absolutely no doubt that the dude is immensely talented. Possessing arguably the strongest arm in the entire draft, Iamaleava has a lot of tools that NFL teams would love to have at the quarterback position. Standing at 6'5" and weighing 215-lbs., Iamaleava's size mixed with his aforementioned arm talent and athleticism make him one of the more intriguing quarterbacks in this year's class. The only issue is that he has struggled with consistency throughout his college career. That being said this past week saw him at his best, as he would go 19/31 for 276-yards with three touchdowns (first touchdown passes of the season) and zero interceptions to go along with 55-yards on seven carries in a 52-38 home win against the Purdue Boilermakers. Things couldn't have started off much better for the UCLA offense as they would travel 79-yards in seven plays with Iamaleava hitting Semaj Morgan on a perfectly thrown ball from 20-yards out to give them their first lead of the game about three minutes into the first quarter.
With Purdue playing with a single high safety, Iamaleava does a nice job at starting with his eyes in the middle of the field as to freeze him just long enough before tossing a beauitful ball to Morgan in the end zone for the score. Yes, Morgan had a step or two on his defender, but this was such a pretty ball from Iamaleava that it just had to be his first passing touchdown of the season, giving the Bruins a 7-0 lead early on in the first quarter. Iamaleava would flash both his arm talent and athleticism early on UCLA's next possession, firing one into Morgan for a 14-yard gain on first and 20 (holding penalty on the opening play) before ripping off a 32-yard carry on the following play to help take the offense from their own 15 to the Purdue 39-yard line.
On the first play, Iamaleava did an excellent job at scanning the entire field before firing it into Morgan in the hole in the zone for a 14-yard gain following a holding penalty on the opening play of the drive. Like you can almost hear the ball ripping through the air. Nice job by both quarterback and receiver (for sitting in the hole) to help get them back into a second and manageable situation. As for the run Iamaleava does a great job at tip toing down the sideline for the aforementioned 32-yard gain. He is a long striding athlete who will absolutely kill you with his legs if you let him. With Purdue's defense selling out to stop Wayne Knight, Iamaleava was granted the room to pick up a massive gain along the sideline to get them into Boilermaker territory. Iamaleava and Morgan would connect for another score a few plays later, with Iamaleava hitting his receiver a few yards beyond the line of scrimmage on a hitch with Morgan manuevering his way through the defense and into the end zone from 27-yards out to make it a 14-7 game midway through the first quarter. UCLA's offense would start their next drive off with excellent field position following a Purdue fumble. Despite starting at the plus 44-yard line, the Bruins would eventually find themselves in a third and 13 situation from the 33-yard line. On said play, Iamaleava would hit Brayden Loftin down the seam for a 22-yard gain to get them down to the Purdue five yard line (with the help from a roughing the passer penalty).
In the face of the blitz, Iamaleava is able to remain tall and calm in the pocket before delivering an inch perfect pass to Loftin down the seam for a 22-yard gain. That's what you love seeing from your quarterback, again standing tall and calm but also not being afraid to take a hit in the pocket. With the Purdue defender barelling down on him, Iamaleava was able to place a ball over the outstreched arm of the linebacker and into the arms of his tight end. You really can't throw a ball much better in that situation if you're Iamaleava. The dude is no quitter and is tough as hell (took a good shot to the chin after releasing the ball), and two plays later Wayne Knight would take it into the end zone to give the Bruins a 21-7 lead with 4:34 to go in the opening quarter. Iamaleava would continue to look for big gains through the air on their next drive, connecting with Brian Rowe Jr. along the far sideline for another 22-yard gain to help get them to the Boilermaker 30-yard line.
With a defender right in his face again, Iamaleava is still able to deliver an accurate ball to Rowe along the sideline for a 22-yard gain. Not only was the defender barreling down upon him, but Iamaleava also hit his hand on the top of said defender's helmet. Speaking as someone who's done that before, I can promise you it does not feel good. Maybe it caused the pass to go a little high (if we're nit picking) but is was still accurate enough for his receiver to bring it in to again get them to the Purdue 30-yard line. Unfortunately not much more would come from this drive, as kicker Mateen Bhaghani would miss from 43-yards out to keep the score at 21-14 midway through the second quarter. The Bruins would then go three and out on their next possession, but would still manage to come away with some points before halftime as on the following drive kicker Bhaghani would redeem himself by converting from 34-yards out with four seconds to go in the first half, making the score 24-21. The thing is though the field goal attempt may not have happened had Iamaleava not come up big on a couple third downs for the Bruins, connecting on passes of 27 and 16-yards on third and 15 and third and 10 to help get them set up the eventual score.
Two big times throws from Iamaleava to help keep the drive alive for the Bruins. Now, he really should have had a touchdown pass on this drive, but Brian Rowe Jr. would ultimately drop it in the end zone. Regardless I love seeing quarterbacks attack the middle portions of the field, especially when their backs are against the wall. The first one we saw Iamaleava absolutely rip it right onto the body of Leland Smith with two defenders in coverage for a 27-yard gain. As for the second onem we saw him show off some touch by floating it over the outstretched arm of the linebacker with Smith (again) clmining the ladder to get it for a further 16-yards. Two third and long situations, two strong throws from Iamaleava to again help set up a 34-yard field goal just before the half to make the score 24-21 in favor of the Bruins. Iamaleava would only register one pass on UCLA's opening drive of the second half but boy would it be a big one, hitting Rowe down the middle of the field for a 43-yard gain to take them from their own 46 to the Purdue 11-yard line.
As I've spoken about a few times before, Iamaleava throws one of, if not the best deep ball in all of college football, as was on display right there. He's just such an effortless thrower, with a simple flick of the wrist sending the ball 43-yards down the field and into the arms of his intended receiver. You can't ask for a much better throw, which would help set up a Anthony Woods rushing touchdown a couple plays later, re-gifting the Bruins a 31-28 lead with 10:23 to go in the third quarter. It wouldn't take long for UCLA to find the end zone on their next drive, as a Purdue fumble would set their offense up at the plus 27-yard line. Three plays later Wayne Knight would take it into the end zone to make the score 38-28 midway through the quarter. Iamaleava would come up big for the Bruins on third down once again on their next possession, hitting Leland Smith (yes, again) near the far sideline for a 16-yard gain on third and 10.
With a defender jumping in his face, Iamaleava does an excellent job at again remaining tall and calm in the pocket before delivering a strike to Smith for a 16-yard gain. Sure this isn't some tight window throw but still, delivering a strike in the face of pressure on third down no less will always get praise from me. The run game would really carry the Bruin offense the rest of the drive, with Jaivian Thomas eventually taking it into the end zone from 17-yards out to make it a 45-31 game after the opening play of the fourth quarter. UCLA would be forced to punt the ball away after just four plays on their next drive but would be able to find the end zone their next time out as Iamaleava would hit Landon Ellis while rolling to his right from six yards out to put the final nail in the coffin of a 52-38 home victory. Just an overall impressive display from Iamaleava, registering his first (three) passing touchdown(s) of the season in the process. All of his physical tools were on display on this one, and if he's able to remain consistent he could really shoot up most people's draft boards. This week Iamaleava and co. will travel out east to take on the 2-1 Maryland Terrapins, one of the three teams UCLA beat last season. I'm really excited to see this quarterback match-up take place.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - N/A
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - @ Maryland
9. Jayden Maiava, USC
Wk 3 - 20/32 277 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 9 yds 0 touchdowns @ Rutgers (42-35 W)
Season - 87/115 1,173 yds 12 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries -2 yds 1 touchdown
Though the season is still incredibly young, USC's Jayden Maiava has put up some pretty impressive numbers so far for the USC Trojans. Now I do have to continue to remind myself that they've played one game more than most other teams out there, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that Maiava has had a really strong start to the season. Up to this point Maiava is one of six quarterbacks to have registered more than 1,000-yards passing, leading the pack while putting up 1,173-yards. He is also one of six quarterbacks to have registered 10-or more passing touchdowns, but again leads the pack with 12, while also only registering one interception which of course came last week against Louisiana. Before anyone says it I know that USC hasn't necessarily played a rough and tough schedule up to this point, but it's still clear to me that Maiava has shown improvements from a season ago, firmly placing himself as one of the early season favorites for the Heisman Trophy. That being said I don't know if his overall play is enough to help the Trojans reach the ultimate goal of a National Championship (not that they were favorites or anything) as their defense gives up 22.8-points per game, which is good for fourth to last in the Big Ten despite again not playing a murderers row schedule. This past week was no different, as though Maiava went 20/32 for 277-yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, USC had a tough battle against a winless Rutgers team, coming away with a 42-35 road victory. Now I know traveling completely across the country is a difficult task, but I did think that the Trojans defense would be able to spot the second worst scoring offense in the conference. I guess a win is a win, right? Things would start off pretty well for the USC offense, registering a field goal on their opening drive before an interception helped set their second drive up at the Rutgers 24-yard line, where they would need only two plays for King Miller to find the end zone and make the score 10-0 midway through the first quarter. Maiava would come up big for the Trojans on their next drive, as after taking a sack on second down to make it third and 14 he would hit Corey Simms down the field who would scurry away from the defender in coverage for a 52-yard touchdown.
One thing I've always talked about when it comes to Maiava is that he has complete faith and trust in his receivers, willing to toss it up to them in a potential 50/50 situation asking them to make a play. In this case Simms was more than up to the task, coming back to the ball, leaping in the air to bring it in before slipping away from the defender for the eventual 52-yard score on third and 14. Nice job by Maiava at scanning the field and letting his playmaker make a play, extending their lead to 17-7 early on in the second quarter. The Trojan offense would struggle to ge things going on their next drive, ultimately punting the ball away after six plays. Following a 95-yard touchdwon drive by Rutgers to make it a 17-14 game, USC would get the ball back with 1:25 to go in the half. Wanting to get the ball down the field in a hurry Maiava would let it fly, hitting Zacharyus Williams along the near sideline for a 27-yard gain before firing a back shoulder ball to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt along the opposite sideline for a further 25-yards to get the Trojans down to the plus 14-yard line.
Just two perfect passes here from Maiava. The first one is a very nice layered throw over the top of defender in coverage hitting Williams along the sideline for a 27-yard gain. The second one is just a perfectly placed back shoulder ball, with Dixon-Wyatt doing an excellent job at adjusting his body to bring it in despite the defender being tight in coverage. Again just two inch perfect passes from Maiava that would ultimately help set up a 32-yard field goal attempt from Caden Chittenden to make the score 20-14 with 10-seconds remaining in the first half. USC's offense wouldn't touch the field again until the midway point of the third quarter, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't come away with points as Prophet Brown would pick off Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan and take it back 99-yards the other way for the score, making it 27-14 with 10:32 to go in the quarter. Rutgers would find the end zone quickly on their following drive, needing only three plays to bring them back to within six. USC would find the end zone again on their next drive with the run game being a big factor as Riley Wormley would pick up 27-yards on the opening play before eventually taking it across the goal line from 12-yards out to make the score 35-21 (following a successful two point conversion) with just under six minutes to go in the third. Maiava would come up big for the Trojan offense on their next drive, not only by just getting the defense to jump offsides on fourth and two, but also by connecting Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 32-yard gain to get them to the Rutgers 35-yard line.
After getting the defense to jump offside Maiava has the wherewithal to push the ball down the field, connecting with Dixon-Wyatt for a 32-yard gain. Great throw and great catch by both quarterback and receiver to make a big play despite the defender being tight in coverage. Unfortunately that would really be the final big play of the drive, as things would ultimately stall out with the Trojans failing to convert on fourth and four from the Scarlet Knight 17-yard line. Thankfully for them the Rutgers offense would do the same thing, setting the USC offense up at the plus 24-yard line. A few plays later Maiava would hit Riley Wormley while rolling to his right for an easy two yard touchdown pass, giving them a 42-28 lead midway through the fourth. Rutgers would find the end zone again themselves on their next drive but unfortunately for them USC would get the ball back with 4:24 left and see out the game, coming away with a tough fought 42-35 road victory. As I said before traveling across the country is never easy, but I still firgured the Trojans would beat up on the Scarlet Knights pretty good given how both of their seasons have started. Though the game was closer than expect Maiava still put forth a very solid performance, pushing the ball down the field and making the defense pay for costly mistakes. This week will be Maiava and co.'s biggest test to date by far as they play host to the 2-1 Oregon Ducks, who won this match-up 42-27 last season with Maiava registering three touchdowns and two interceptions. If USC is going to win Maiava is going to have to be on top of it, and if he keeps playing like he has been there's no reason to think the Trojans can't pull off the home upset.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 9
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - v no.20 Oregon
10. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (-3)
Wk 3 - 25/40 282 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/14 carries 52 yds 0 touchdowns v Mississippi State (41-34 L)
Season - 54/86 648 yds 5 touchdowns 3 interceptions/23 carries 172 yds 1 touchdown
LaNorris Sellers man, I really don't know what else there is to say about him at this point. Look, I am well aware that the season is still incredibly young, but his performances so far have left a lot to be desired. Sure he looked solid week one against Kent State but he struggled finding consistency in the pass game against a now 0-4 Towson. Now I will say that his receivers did him little to no favors in that game, and he did run the ball really well, but against a team like the Towson Tigers I would expect Sellers to rise above all the other mitigating factors in that victory. This may be mean on a couple of fronts, but there really isn't a reason why we should be questioning him as a passer against a team like Towson. Regardless of his overall performance there wasn't a soul out there who wasn't excited to see Sellers and co. match-up against Mississippi State and their immensely talented quarterback, Kamario Taylor. By all intensive purposes Taylor (who stands at 6'4" and weighs 230 lbs.) is looking like the quarterback prospect many expect to see in Sellers, the only problem is that he can't come out until next season. As things stand right now Taylor has registered more passing yards (832 to 648) and touchdowns (11 to 5) than Sellers by a decent amount, despite registering four less pass attempts than Sellers. Hell their rushing yards are even similar, with Taylor edging Sellers 178 to 172. So again, compared to Taylor Sellers falls short, which is exactly what happened on the field as the Bulldogs would take down the Gamecocks on the road by the score 41-34. As you could probably guess by how I've been wording things up to this point Sellers struggled in the loss, going 25/40 for 282-yards (season high) with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while also putting up a solid 52-yards on the ground on a season high 14-carries. Now, that's not to say Sellers didn't make plays throughout the game, flashing his playmaking ability on South Carolina's first drive of the game by hitting Mazeo Bennett Jr. down the sideline while rolling to his left for a 15-yard gain on second and five.
Sellers has an inate abilty to make something out of nothing. Despite seemingly being dead to rights in the backfield, Sellers was able to somehow flip the ball accurately down the field while rolling to his left, hitting Bennett in stride to help get them down to the Mississippi State five yar line. I love seeing Sellers make play like this, but unfortunately for the Gamecocks they would fail to punch it across the goal line for the score, ultimately settling for a 30-yard Malik Orsan field goal to give their first lead of the game midway through the opening quarter. The South Carolina offense would be set up with excellent field position to start their next drive following an opening play interception thrown by Kamario Taylor. It would take them six plays to find the end zone from the 16-yard line, with Sellers eventually hitting Maurice Brown II after rolling to his right from four yards out to extend their lead to 10 with 4:24 remaining in the first quarter. Sellers would flash the arm talent midway through their next drive, firing one down the middle of the field to Donovan Murph for a 44-yard gain.
Prior to the throw, Sellers did a very nice job at flashing his eyes to the left, holding the far safety off just enougb to give Murph a better chance at a one v one situation. As for the throw itself it was just perfect, like you really can't throw a ball much better if you're Sellers. When everything is syncd up, there are not a lot of quarterbacks out there who can throw a better deep ball, this one of course helped get them all the way down to the Mississippi State 21-yard line. Also, great job by Murph at seeing this ball in through the contact, I don't want that to go unnoticed. Unfortunately though South Carolina wouldn't pick up many more yards following the big time play, ultimately having to settle for another Orzan field goal (this on from 34-yards out) to make the score 13-0 with four seconds left in the first quarter. Sellers would come up big for the Gamecocks on their next drive, as he would find Nyck Harbor a few yards past the first down marker for a 22-yard gain on fourth and two. That being said the fourth down conversion wouldn't lead to much more than a field goal, as they'd have to rely on Orzan's leg again (this time from 51-yards out) to give them a 16-0 lead midway through the quarter. South Carolina would go three and out on their next possession, with Mississippi State clawing their way back to make the score 16-14 with about five minutes to go in the half. Sellers' legs would keep the offense alive on their next drive, picking up 14-yards on third and four before escaping pressure and picking up a further 10-yards to help get them down to the Bulldog 17-yard line.
No play is truly dead if Sellers has the ball in his hands with room to run. On the first play with the linebacker following the running back out of the backfield, Sellers knows he should have an easy pathway to a first down. Cutting up through a crowded pocket, Sellers is able to pick up a calm cool 14-yards on third and four. As for the second play Sellers is all but dead to rights in the backfield, but is still able to escape pressure and pick up yet another first down with his legs. He's just so hard to bring down, as there aren't many quarterbacks out there as big and fast as he is with the ball in his hands. Sellers would connect with Brady Hunt on a 10-yard pass the following play, ultimately setting up a seven yard touchdown run by Matt Fuller to go up 23-14 with less than two minutes to go in the first half. As good as the first half was things would take a drastic turn for the worst in the second half, as the Gamecocks would go three and out on their opening drive before seeing back-to-back drives end with bad Sellers interceptions.
These two throws show the biggest concerns surrounding Sellers' draft stock, his processing. On the first throw he has two throws wide open, the post over the top and the crosser coming across the formation. Sure he's looking to throw the crosser, but for whatever reason he just soft tosses the ball, leading to a very easy interception for the Mississippi State defense. The second one is really late. As I've said numerous times before, throwing from the near hash to the far sideline (or vice versa) is a much longer throw than what most people probably think it is. If you're throwing that you have to get the ball out quick, as if you're late by even a half second it can lead to an interception. It would have taken a special throw from Sellers for this pass to be completed, but given how late it was there was little to no chance the result would be anything other than an interception. Again, just two really bad interceptions from Sellers, which would help Mississippi State build their lead to 38-23 to kick things off in the fourth quarter. South Carolina would go three and out on their opening drive of the fourth, but would finally be able to string some things together on their following drive, with Sellers hitting Matt Fuller out of the backfield for an 18-yard gain on third and four, giving them their first first down of the second half midway through the quarter.
This play was so close to being even bigger than it was, if only Fuller's foot hadn't grazed the sideline keeping it to just an 18-yard gain. Regardless of how long the play went for, Sellers showed off some very nice touch on this throw, getting it over the top of the defender in coverage and into the bread basket to again help them pick up their first first down of the second half. Sellers and Fuller would connect again a few plays later, hooking up for a 25-yard score with 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, making it a 41-31 game. The Gamecocks would come away with a field goal on their final drive of the game, with the final score ultimately reading 41-34 in favor of the road underdogs. For Sellers, there were definitely some moments where he flashed his immense talent, but those two interceptions really put a damper on this game for me, as you would hope he wouldn't be making those throws at this point in his collegiate career. I would like to say things will get easier for Sellers and co., but this weekend they are on the road taking on the eighth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Sure this may not be the Saban lead Tide, but I still have a hard time seeing South Carolina get anything out of this, but time will tell.
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - @ no.8 Alabama
Others
Josh Hoover, Indiana (NEW)
Wk 3 - 18/24 273 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 2 yds 0 touchdowns v Western Kentucky (38-0 W)
Season - 37/50 649 yds 10 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 20 yds 0 touchdowns
Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville (NEW)
Wk 3 - 14/23 177 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 42 yds 1 touchdown v no.16 SMU (41-31 W)
Season - 48/73 816 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/32 carries 153 yds 4 touchdowns
Sam Leavitt, LSU (10)
Wk 3 - 16/27 158 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/17 carries 63 yds 1 touchdown @ no.8 Ole Miss (32-24 L)
Season - 57/93 732 yds 3 touchdowns 5 interceptions/40 carries 198 yds 6 touchdowns
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Wk 3 - 18/22 241 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns v Kent State (59-3 W)
Season - 56/79 839 yds 6 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries -22 yds 1 touchdown
Austin Simmons, Missouri
Wk 3 - 10/19 91 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/2 carries 3 yds 0 touchdowns v Troy (27-17 W)
Season - 46/67 635 yds 8 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 9 yds 0 touchdowns
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